Jalapeño Peri-Peri Chicken Kebabs

Night before: allow 25 minutes for the Prep list and first three steps, then refrigerate for 12–18 hours. On the day: allow about 40 minutes, cooking the rice, chicken and corn in parallel as described. The calculated total includes the shortest overnight marinade; it is not 13 hours of work. Packet timings, grill strength and chicken temperature take priority.

1. 01

   Night before · mix the marinade

   5 min

   5 min hands-on

   Combine the minced jalapeño, half the kebab pepper, garlic and parsley with the tomato purée, smoked paprika, cumin, oregano, sugar, lemon juice, vinegar, olive oil, fine salt and black pepper. Stir into a thick, coarse paste. Keep the finely chopped texture; do not blend it into a smooth sauce.

2. 02

   Night before · coat and thread

   7 min

   7 min hands-on

   Coat the chicken thoroughly in the prepared marinade. Thread onto metal skewers, alternating with squares from the remaining half of the kebab pepper. Leave enough room between pieces for the heat to reach the sides. Press the paste onto the chicken. Put the skewers in a single layer in a covered non-reactive dish and refrigerate while you make the mayo. Discard any raw-chicken marinade left in the mixing bowl.

3. 03

   Night before · make the mayo

   3 min

   3 min hands-on

   With clean utensils, mix the mayonnaise, lemon juice, lemon zest, finely crushed garlic, sea salt and black pepper. Taste, cover and refrigerate separately from the raw chicken. Fresh garlic is the simplest choice. If using frozen garlic, follow its packet: a product that requires cooking must be cooked and cooled before it goes into this cold sauce.

4. 04

   Leave overnight

   12 hr+

   Hands off · marinating

   Keep the covered kebabs refrigerated at 5°C or below for 12–18 hours, within the chicken’s use-by date. Keep the lemon garlic mayo covered in the fridge too. The next steps are for the following day.

5. 05

   On the day · get ready

   5 min

   5 min hands-on

   Rinse the basmati rice until the water runs mostly clear. Dice the rice pepper and slice the spring onions if not already prepared. Use a kettle to help bring water to the boil in separate saucepans for rice and corn. Preheat the overhead grill to medium-high for about 5 minutes, following its instructions. Lightly oil the grill rack with a little olive oil and set it over a drip tray. Keep the kebabs refrigerated until the grill is ready.

6. 06

   Cook the lemon herb rice

   18 min

   8 min hands-on

   Start the rice in lightly salted boiling water, using the packet time. Add the frozen peas for their packet cooking time—often the final 3 minutes—and cook them thoroughly. While the rice boils, melt the rice butter in the frying pan over medium heat. Soften the diced pepper for 3–4 minutes, then cook the spring onions for another minute. Set the buttery vegetables aside and wipe the pan ready for the corn. Drain the cooked rice and peas if needed, let excess steam escape, then fold in the vegetables, lemon zest, lemon juice, parsley, salt and black pepper. Reserve a little parsley for serving. Keep covered and hot on very low heat until plating, adding a splash of water if needed to prevent drying. The next two steps run while the rice cooks.

7. 07

   Meanwhile · boil and dry the corn

   5 min

   2 min hands-on

   As soon as the rice is on, put the corn cobs into the second pan of boiling water. Boil for about 5 minutes, until tender. Drain and pat thoroughly dry with kitchen roll, then set aside for charring. Keep the drained saucepan for the paprika butter later.

8. 08

   Grill the chicken

   18 min

   6 min hands-on

   After draining the corn, place the chicken and pepper skewers on the prepared rack, roughly 10–15 cm below the element if your grill permits. Grill for about 12–18 minutes, turning every 3–4 minutes; continue finishing the rice between turns. The coating should form a reddish-brown crust. Lower the rack if the spices darken before the centres are cooked. For more colour, move closer only for the final minute or two and watch carefully. Probe several thick pieces, away from the metal skewer: the centres must reach 75°C for 30 seconds. Cook longer if needed. Without a thermometer, cut into the thickest pieces and check they are steaming hot throughout, with no pink flesh and clear juices. Do not baste with leftover raw marinade.

9. 09

   Rest the kebabs

   5 min

   Hands off · includes resting

   Transfer the cooked kebabs to a clean plate and cover loosely while you finish the corn and butter. Keep them hot for serving. Use clean tongs rather than utensils that handled raw chicken.

10. 10

    Char the corn

    8 min

    4 min hands-on

    Once the rice is finished and keeping hot, heat the frying pan over high heat with 1 tsp olive oil. Add the dried corn cobs and turn for 5–8 minutes until golden with lightly charred patches. This overlaps the end of grilling and the chicken’s rest. Transfer the corn to a shallow dish.

11. 11

    Make the paprika garlic butter

    3 min

    2 min hands-on

    In the emptied corn saucepan, gently melt the butter over low heat. Add the finely crushed garlic and cook for 30–60 seconds until fragrant, without browning. Remove from the heat, then stir in the smoked paprika and lemon juice. Adding paprika off the heat protects it from burning.

12. 12

    Coat the hot corn

    2 min

    2 min hands-on

    Spoon the paprika butter over the hot corn. Roll the cobs through the butter in the dish until coated, then finish with a little Maldon sea salt.

13. 13

    Plate the feast

    4 min

    4 min hands-on

    Divide the lemon herb rice and vegetables between the selected portions. Add the grilled chicken kebabs, paprika butter corn and a spoonful of chilled lemon garlic mayo. Spoon any remaining paprika butter over the corn and finish with the reserved parsley. Serve immediately.